5 Jobs Created By Natural Disasters

Natural disasters are devastating to the communities they hit, causing destruction of infrastructure, homelessness and death. Although the immediate reaction to the effect a natural disaster on the job market would be negative, the situation that arises is a bit more complex…;and actually creates jobs. These are five jobs that are actually created by natural disasters.

1. Old Tech Paradigm

Some economists view natural disasters as an opportunity to rebuild things that were previously outdated such as old facilities, infrastructure and power/telecommunication grids. Sure, it’s a pretty cynical perception to summate a catastrophic event that leaves many people homeless and many others mourning dead, into an economic pattern, but the next job on this list will help restore your faith in humanity.

2. Relief Musician

New Orleans native and musician Branford Marsalis organized what became to be known as the Musicians’ Village, which built 80 homes and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in the heavily affected and historical Upper Ninth Ward. The center today (a decade after the tragic event) has become a gathering point for the community’s artists and a place young people in the area can attend to take music lessons. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, Marsalis and fellow musicians traveled to the Astrodome, which became temporary housing for the displaced, to help and play music for the survivors.

3. Relief Worker

After almost all natural disaster situations, the areas afflicted become flooded with hundreds of thousands of relief and aid workers. After the earthquakes that ravaged Haiti, thousands of volunteers and crisis specialists including doctors, engineers and construction workers were sent to Haiti to assist in rebuilding and offering healthcare to the affected Haitians. Many countries continued sending help to Haiti to promote development even after the situation had more or less stabilized.

4. Disaster Tourism

I know, as if humanity couldn’t be more despicable. Yes, there are horrible human beings in the world that chose to travel to places that have been hit by natural disasters out of grim and morbid curiosity. They don’t go there to take food to the displaced, medicine for the sick or build homes for the homeless; they go there for their own sick satisfaction. But there is one type of person that is even more morally deplorable than the disaster tourist: the disaster tourist guide and organizer. An example of such tourism is Chelyabinsk, where a few years ago, a 20 meter diameter meteor exploded over the city injuring 1500 people in the process. Now, not only are local officials looking to create a themed attraction based on the event, local tourist agencies are already offering tours to the location that a large chunk of the meteor was found.

5. Construction Worker/ Skilled Labor

This is one of the most widely sought after jobs. After a natural disaster construction workers and skilled laborers are those who will contribute to reversing the devastation of such tragedies. Although they will be exposed to human drama, suffering and tragedy while doing so their job is very crucial to the process of rebuilding civilization.

Are there any other jobs that I forgot to add to my list? Let me know in the comment section below.